Packing Light: A Suitcase Fit for Travel

Airport security lines can strike fear in the hearts of travelers not wanting to part with one liquid item in their suitcase and not wanting to be the traveler with their baggage contents on display during a search.  There are some good tips to pack by in order to consider the trip to your gate smooth sailing.

I like to pack light . . . for the plane ride, that is.  I make my “big suitcase” do the heavy lifting for the trip.  I have found that carrying on a good-sized purse with the usual suspects and a few extras – tissues, a snack, a bottle of water, earplugs, and my own reading material - makes boarding and disembarking an easy process.  I’m short, so I don’t like to finagle anything in or out of the overhead compartment.  If it can’t fit under the chair in front of me, it is riding with the cargo.  

Pack your liquids in the suitcase that is being checked so they’re not even an issue going through security.  I would be crushed if something with more than 3 ounces was taken away from me, so I don’t even chance it.  Instead, I pack my plethora of minis in a cosmetics bag that fully unzips, has clear compartments inside, and can be laid out for easy access to everything in a hotel bathroom.  Use small containers for as many products as you can so you are only taking the amounts you will need during your trip, especially for products like moisturizer and makeup.  The temperatures in cargo storage can alter their consistency, so why expose your entire bottle to that?  

Use the bag-in-a-bag method to feel like the contents of your suitcase remain private even if searched.  I think this also helps protect your clothing and accessories from looking like a plate of spaghetti when you arrive at your destination.  Use small dop kit or cosmetics bags to house your undergarments, belts, scarves, socks, and jewelry all separately.  Small draw string bags can protect individual pairs of shoes.  And including a large draw string laundry bag gives you a place to keep adding dirty clothes to while away and then bring them home altogether.  A plastic document case stored beneath everything else can hold your return flight information and other travel paperwork.  If you plan on doing any shopping, leave some space for those items’ return trip, and fill in the gap with bubble wrap or other plastic packing material that can be throw out upon your return flight packing with your new goodies in tow.

Another packing method I’ve used for years is rolling my clothes.  I am amazed at how un-wrinkled they can be right out of the suitcase.  Lay out your shirts and pajamas flat and your pants with the legs together, and roll them up until they look like a cinnamon roll on the ends.  Layer the individual pieces in your suitcase, with heaviest items on bottom and lightest fabrics on top of your array of small bags.  

Taking some time to pack for efficiency, space-maximizing, privacy, and retention of your beloved liquids makes taking off a breeze.  And it can make getting ready every morning and night of your trip not feel like you’re standing over a bin at a rummage sale.